Editor’s note: This is a blog post by Katie Nash, one of our board members and board secretary. Katie rides to work year-round (when it’s above 20 degrees and not raining!) on either a gravel bike or fat tire bike, and prioritizes travel based on being able to use her bike. She joined the board in January 2024 and is excited to be part of a bike community that can advocate for and influence change within Madison. Katie works for UW-Madison and is part of the UW-Madison Libraries. When she’s not riding her bike, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, and exploring the Driftless Area with her partner, Timothy; and hanging out with their three cats. Opinions are her own.
I have vivid memories of my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Swan. She gave us the warmest and most welcoming hugs the first day we stepped tentatively into her classroom and she had a giant stoplight in a corner of her classroom. She used it to teach us that red means stop, yellow means slow, and green means go. I’ve lived in three different states and Madison, Wisconsin is the most bicycle-friendly place – I love it!
But I’m appalled by the number of automobile drivers who run red lights in this city, at almost every intersection. The lack of enforcement makes this behavior tolerated, and extremely unsafe for pedestrians. I don’t have hard stats to show how many drivers run red lights, but as both a driver and a dedicated bike commuter and distance cyclist, I do have firsthand experience.
When I’m driving, I notice people running stop signs or red lights; when I’m bicycling, I’m keenly attentive to such violations. The number of cars running red lights has increased each year since I moved to Madison in 2018. I’m seriously concerned – the disregard for red lights and following the law is dangerous for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. I began to feel frustrated, agitated, unsafe, and confused about this egregious behavior so I started recording drivers running red lights in real time using a camera on my helmet.
You can view my videos on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjScvYiDZ7PNp0X7qUvg_og. If you just want a couple of examples, watch this video from April 29, 2025:
Or this one from May 19, 2025:
This is normal behavior at almost every intersection across the city, no matter the neighborhood.
I also did research and found crash maps in the yearly City of Madison Crash Facts Report on their Vision Zero Safety Data page. The current Vision Zero Madison action plan has a goal to advocate for automated traffic enforcement (see page 33, goal 7.1). It’s unreasonable to expect the City’s traffic and transportation engineering departments to design streets that stop all speeding and signal violations or to expect traffic enforcement to fall solely on the shoulders of the Madison Police Department. We need multiple ways to help curtail the rampant number of cars running red lights.
Current state law makes it illegal to use any sort of automated enforcement—such as cameras commonly used in many other cities and states—to enforce speed and traffic signal violations. Milwaukee is pushing the Wisconsin State Legislature to allow the city to use automated enforcement cameras to catch speeders and red light runners – read online to learn more. In March 2023, Assembly Bill 85 (AB85) was introduced to the Wisconsin Legislature to modify the law, providing a glimmer of hope that technology can help reduce speed and traffic signal violations. Sadly, it failed to pass in April of 2024. We need to advocate and push for safe streets for all!
What can you do?
- Write local politicians expressing your concern about increasing traffic signal violations (especially automobiles running red lights) and your support for increased enforcement.
- Ask politicians to re-introduce a bill to implement the use of automated speed enforcement systems and traffic control photographic systems in cities such as Milwaukee and Madison that will provide a penalty to those who violate the law.
- Write local leaders and government agencies who focus on transportation, traffic safety, and pedestrian and cycling issues – ask them what is being done about traffic signal violations. Express how unsafe this behavior is for pedestrians and bicyclists and ask how you can get involved to help make change.
- Be a respectful pedestrian and bicyclist – lead by example and follow traffic signals. Spread the word: tell your friends and family about this growing problem. Let’s make sure this city remains one of the top bicycle friendly places in the nation!